Baked Barley with Shiitake Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

Slow baking allows the barley to absorb the woodsy flavor of the mushrooms and the sweetness of the caramelized onion.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cup)

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 4 1/2  cups  chopped onion (about 3 medium)
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 3  cups  sliced button mushrooms (about 9 ounces)
• 3  cups  sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)
• 1 1/2  cups  uncooked pearl barley
• 1  tablespoon  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 4  cups  vegetable broth
• Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and sugar; cover and cook 25 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add barley; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in soy sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Pour broth over barley mixture; cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until barley is tender. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

292 (17% from fat)

Fat:

5.4g (sat 2.6g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

9.5g

Carbohydrate:

55.1g

Fiber:

10.7g

Cholesterol:

10.4mg

Iron:

2.4mg

Sodium:

908mg

Calcium:

42mg